Fort Collins, CO in the early 1900's

We are fascinated by history, including in our hometown of Fort Collins, Colorado, where we have raised our children and established roots in the business community. We’re remodeling the space at 222 Pine Street in Old Town Fort Collins and making way for our new boutique design studio, which will open late summer. This building and the area surrounding it are rich in architecture and commerce, as well as history, and blending the old with the new is something that in the design world we get very excited about!

Pine Street shops, 2018

222 Pine Street, adjacent to what was the Asmus Sign Company, the first sign company in Fort Collins, and current businesses Swampgas and Gossamer, Welsh Rabbit Cheese Shop, and Nuance Chocolate a few doors down, is part of a single-story building that has housed several businesses since it was constructed in 1906. Most recently, it was home to Loyal Salon and prior to that, a dental office and an art gallery. Over the years, it has been home to a second hand store, TV service shop, coal/grain/hay dealers, a machinist shop, and part of an early automobile canvas-top repair house.

Pine Street in the 1950's

Pine Street was once a very bustling street, full of hotels and shops. Local legend has it that the reason we don’t have many photos documenting Pine Street’s early days is because the photographer who was hired to shoot pictures of the town was a devoutly religious man who did not want to showcase the “vivacious living” that went on there. The street was known for brothels, drinking, gambling, and raucous lifestyles, so he avoided Pine Street as much as possible. Although it has become a bit quieter in the past 30 years or so, now with the opening of businesses in The Exchange, right across the street and set on College/Jefferson/Pine, we are seeing a major uptick in the activity here as we prepare to open.

The building just to the north of us, now home to businesses Canyon Spirit Gallery, Q4 Wealth Management, and the Pine Street Lofts was home to the Lacourt Hotel, once known as the Brown Palace Hotel, Blaine Hotel, Hotel Pine, and The Arlington Hotel. It also housed the Pine Tavern. This portion of Pine Street was built by Isaac Harris, a native of Nova Scotia who came to Fort Collins in 1880, as the town was starting to grow and flourish, following the opening of what was once the Colorado Agricultural College, now CSU, founded in 1870.

222 Pine Street in the 1970's

Combining unique elements from bygone eras with the on-trend accessories and furnishings of today’s contemporary spaces is an artform in itself and one that keeps us constantly on the hunt for great finds! As we expand into this design studio and offer the opportunity for our clients to work directly with us in a place that features all price points and represents several lines, we are eager to consider the history of their home, their appreciation of the past, and to blend these with a modern twist. Tradition does not have to be stuffy or uncomfortable; it can simply be infused into today’s homes to add flair and conversation pieces to the space.

We're happy to be part of Old Town's ever-evolving look and history!

222 Pine Street is our space to create and flourish while honoring the deep historical foundation of our beloved little city, Fort Collins.

For more history of Old Town and Pine Street, visit https://bit.ly/2KcR6Ks

Author: Dawn Duncan, Owner/President, Yellowbright, Inc., a Fort Collins-based writing/editing/social media firm. yellowbrightinc.com 970.980.6399